Look closely and then tell me…What’s “wrong” with this picture? Maybe “wrong” isn’t the “right” word. Maybe “unusual” is the right word.

I’m pretty sure this would not be what I would look like if I were at a major airport, ready to travel a number of hours with my baby on a plane…ALONE! What about you?

Here is what is (wrong/unusual) = remarkable: She is smiling! She is a real, live person and she is smiling! And at peace! How did that happen?

Lindsay sent me this picture. It inspired me so much that I asked her if I could use it on my website. I figured if it inspired me, it would inspire you, too. (I’m passionate about helping Overwhelmed Moms find their way out of the fog. And this picture speaks volumes!!!) And then…when I heard her response, I just had to share it with you right away.

Because…here’s something else that is remarkable about this Mom: Her response was “Yes…but…I wasn’t overwhelmed.” WOW! She wasn’t overwhelmed??? Astounding!!!

What do you suppose was Lindsay’s secret?

Lindsay had a plan. She had spent the days leading up to this day (as she prepared to move to another continent in a few short weeks) speaking God’s promises out loud to herself as she packed and as she took care of her baby. Her husband was far away…on another continent because of his work. It was unavoidable. This was a fog she was going to have to find her way through without her husband’s help. She wanted to be victorious, even though her life was in an uproar! But you would not know it to look at her, would you?! She had chosen the HIGHER ROAD.

Life is a series of choices. Flesh or Spirit. Which will rule? Which will we “feed”? The Spirit or the flesh?

This Mom had chosen to listen to praise music even though the things in her life were in chaos. While helpers were shouting questions at her. While she had to make a ton of last minute decisions. While she had to remember to eat. While she had to remember to change the diapers and nurse the baby. While movers came and went. While her apartment looked more like a war-zone than a home…with all the sorting and packing materials all around. Lindsay had chosen to have God on the throne, rather than let her feelings rule her. She did what she could do. She fed her Spirit Soul food and it nourished her to the point that her countenance would actually shine! You can see that for yourself!

She did what she could and left the rest to God. He likes that! 🙂

She is an amazing woman. She is one of my favorite people and I wanted to share a bit of her story with you. I pray it inspires you to take the time to stop, drop and pray. To remember that nothing is too big for God to handle. IF we let Him. She made a conscious choice to meditate on the promises of God. To feed her soul with music. Not just any music. She chose music that nourishes and exalts God. Proving: You definitely are what you “eat”. His Word (the Bible) is her nourishment. AND…Praises helped her rise above her circumstances. God has a plan and she followed it. And this is the result!

Please take time to comment and let us know what this has stirred up in you. And please also share stories of times when God’s Spirit has ruled and you, too, have been victorious in a difficult circumstance. We would love to hear from you. And as Lindsay prepares to move from her familiar surroundings, your remarks could be perfect timing and have the same effect on her to encourage her to keep looking UP because GOD is BIG.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work,” Jesus said. (John 4:34 NAS)

{{Lindsay Nichols Estes has a message for women in transition. She walks her talk and more often than not, she comes forth trusting God’s promises. She knows the secret of success. If you are in transition, and want a coach to walk through it with you, you can find her here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaynicholsestes }}

Have you heard a version of Anything worthwhile is worth fighting for. Worth waiting for?

I know that’s not a happy thought that success comes via blood, sweat and tears, but it seems especially necessary to say that today. The media would have us believe that we “deserve” success. When we get a college degree, we “deserve” a job. And not just a job, but a job starting at the top. Because we are “qualified”, right? Isn’t that the way it works? Or maybe we believe that when we start our own business, the clients/customers will flock to us. Because we did the right things, so of course we will realize our dreams complete and full…immediately. Right? That when we do the right thing, all falls into place. Blog posts tell us that. Facebook and Twitter posts all claim that if we buy their program, we will get skinny, we will grow new hair on that bald spot, and we will be able to run a marathon if we eat the right energy bar. That’s what we hear from all forms of media. But…is it true???

My inspiration today is the story of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph had a dream. Have you had a dream? Are you continuing to pursue it, or did you quit when it got hard or took too long?

You know the story. Joseph was his Dad’s favorite. And his brothers knew that. It was way too obvious. So, when they got a chance, they got even. Not with the Dad who chose him as favorite, but with Joseph. They tried to eliminate their problem. They wanted him out of the way. The only problem was, even though the Dad thought Joseph was dead, Joseph was STILL his favorite. The empty space at the table was NOT occupied by another. His Dad’s heart was very sad. And none of the other sons became the favorite in his place. So what did they accomplish by taking matters into their own hands?

What about Joseph? At the hands of his brothers, Joseph suffered bullying, abuse, betrayal and great loss; and at the hands of others, he suffered slavery.

He waited. (What else could he do under the circumstances?) But somehow, Joseph never seemed to see himself as “under the circumstances”. He believed in a BIG GOD. THE big God!

Then, he began to find the Favor of the Lord. And he kept his integrity. He faithfully walked honorably, even when tempted to take the lower road to destruction.

He took the higher road to the Favor of God. Those appointed to keep him in line saw clearly God’s favor or him and they appointed him to positions of leadership. And they indirectly received God’s Favor through Joseph. But betrayals and disappointments continued. And he remained a man of integrity. No matter how much power he was given, he remained a man of God. A man faithful to the Lord’s ways.

And the final outcome? Remember his outrageous dream that his brothers hated him for? Hated him enough to try to get rid of him forever…

Well, that dream came true and they literally owed their lives to him…the one they had sought to destroy was later their rescuer.

Blood, sweat and tears…walking that faithful life with our eyes on the Lord of the blood, sweat and tears…not giving up…but going forward…one step at a time. Little by little. Trusting the God of the outcome. A heart on fire for Him.

Now THAT is “success”! That is God’s definition of “success” and that is where the joy lies. Peace that passes understanding. Don’t quit. Press on. Press through. Keep looking up to the Creator of real success…via blood, sweat and tears!

Easy? No! But ask Joseph someday: “Was it worth it?” And I have a feeling he will shout out, “Yes! Undoubtedly, YES!”

I remember learning a poem about being the Master of my fate when I was in school. The poem has stuck with me throughout my life. For many years, it confused me because I thought, “If I truly am the master of my fate, why can’t I make my life work right?”

The February 10 devo published by Haven Ministries started me thinking about “fate” and “masters” again.

“Society teaches us constantly that we are the masters of our destiny, that we are what we make of ourselves, that we write the script. Knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior, however, shows us otherwise. Christianity is not about me and what I make of myself; it’s about Christ and what He has done for me. He is the author of my faith;…all my days were ordained in His Book before a single one of them came to be.”

In the Bible, Jeremiah 10:23 states: “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

The devo goes on: “Those lessons come to us over time when our best-laid plans fail and we are forced down other paths. Instead of feeling that we write the story of our lives, we see that every day is a journal page – a record of all the Lord has done for us. He is the author of our lives! With our eyes fixed on Him (not ourselves), He carries us through and writes us into the wondrous plan of His Kingdom.”

So, have you come to terms with who truly is the master of your fate and the author of your life story? Maybe it’s time to do what I finally did: surrender all that to the Creator God and trust that “Father knows best.” Because He truly does! 🙂

You whole life will take a turn for the better as peace and joy shows up in your life on a routine basis because you realize that God’s “got your back”.

Which will we choose? Murmuring or gratefulness? Can we actually learn to overcome grumbling? There are certainly lots of challenges to capture our attention and direct it toward the negative aspects of life.

Job (of the Old Testament book named after him) had friends that were miserable comforters. He lost all but his wife and yet he did not curse God and die as his wife suggested. Job had lots of questions. He didn’t know that he had been chosen to be an object lesson to satan to prove how authentic Job’s faith in God was.

It is possible to recognize a true follower of God by observing their lives. Did Job grieve over loss? It hurt him as deeply as it hurts one who has not yet experienced the transforming light of God. The difference is, those with a relationship with God have hope…even if they don’t understand. They trust that God is The Lord God Almighty. Maker of Heaven and earth. Creator of all that exists. And much, much wiser than our own limited earth-bound understanding.

Those with a relationship with Father God know that whatever trials…whatever painful ordeal…whatever suffering…whether it is character-building or whether it is to show the world how a Christian reacts to crisis, they continue to follow…maybe with sadness, and a sense of loss, but also with hope. Maybe with confusion, but also with trust in the God of the Bigger Picture. We earthlings see through earth-bound eyes. God knows how it all fits together for the Bigger Picture. He sees through the lens of Eternity.

Murmuring or Gratefulness? Which will you choose? I keep a daily Ebenezer journal. Ebenezer is an old word that means, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” No requests. No murmurings. Only gratefulness. Through this daily evening written record, I see major interventions of God in my life. I begin to see a trend of God being involved in my life. My dreams are sweeter and I wake more refreshed and at peace. I begin to actually look forward to each new day as I look expectantly for God to show up. I am actually recording His involvement in my day-to-day life.

You might already know that the story is about the (Prodigal) son that asked for a share of the inheritance so he could leave home and do his own thing. He was granted his requests. He had a good time for awhile…until his money ran out, that is. Which meant that his friends ran out about the same time. And then he found a job slopping pigs. He was so hungry that the pig slop began to look pretty good. That’s when he decided he had to do something to take control of the situation.

Eureka! He got an idea!

We find him reasoning to himself that he will go back home and negotiate a deal with his father. He will tell his father that he is no longer worthy to be called his son. (Sounds humble, huh? Sounds like he learned his lesson, right? ) And he decides the best part about his brilliant plan is that he will plead with his father to make him one of the father’s hired servants.

Sounds good. But is it really? Deal or no deal? Pride or humility? Wisdom or Arrogance? What are the makings of a “real man” (or woman) of God?

There were at least three kinds of servants in those days:
1. Day Workers. They were paid on a day-to-day basis (no job security).
2. Hired Servants. They worked long hours on the estate, but lived in town (with their independence intact).
3. Bond Servants: They lived on the estate and worked very hard (job security, but no independence).

After all of his arrogance and foolishness and loss, when the prodigal was planning to return home, we see that he continued to want control of his own “hard-earned” money and to live apart from his father and keep his independence as well. He wanted to be a hired servant.

So, do we find a surrendered, humble man that has learned from his mistakes or do we find someone that looks a lot like US when we approach the throne of God the Father to make requests of Him in prayer??? Are we really saying, “I’ll serve you, but I still want my freedom to decide how that will actually play out”.

This story is often called the story of the Prodigal (or Lost) Son, and yet it is also the story of the Loving Father. (For some of you, this story will be a sad thing because you have never known what it felt like to be truly loved by a Father. And for you, this is an especially important thing to understand: it is an excellent illustration of the way our Heavenly Father is with us.) (Be sure to read the whole story in Luke 15). In this story, do you see that the Father never let the son tell him his plan? All the son got to say was that he was not worthy. The Father took it from there and gave the son much more than he ever had thought or imagined. Our Heavenly Father is just like that! (A word of caution: We can’t expect a shower of material things, but it can be guaranteed that whatever He (God, the Father) chooses for us will most certainly be better in the long run than we ever could plan out in our own puny earth-bound brains.)

However, it is also important to mention that a prodigalattitude breaks the Father’s heart as He stands waiting for us to come back home. When we stray or get distracted from fellowshipping with Him, He waits with a longing for us…He wants to shower us with His love. He is sad because of all we miss by not trusting Him to take good care of us. Dig deeply into the reading of His Word (the Bible). He is waiting there for you. He wants you to get to know Him. He has carefully chosen each word…to bless you!

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